[Kieron]

Just wondered how many of you read music and how many play by ear?

My Mum was a fantastic keyboard player - couldn't read a note though. She could copy any song within minutes though!

I struggle reading music for the drums - and that's a much simpler form of reading music!

[Jules]

I voted for play by ear. Although I can read music I can't do it very well at all. when I do.... I sound more like Les Dawson learning. One of the reasons I stopped taking piano exams after grade 6 was because my sight Reading was poor. The other reason was that I simply found it a rubbish way to learn.
I can now play by ear to pretty good standard. However, although this is useful for composing I fear my inability to read music fluently would prevent me doing anything proffessionaly.

[dazza74]

I can read music, although sometimes I can only play the top note initially from reading sheet music and have to practive a piece for quite a while to get to playing all the chords etc.

You'll never remember all the songs you wish to play by hear so being able to read sheet music to some extent and play is invaluable for me.

[Jules]

Originally Posted by dazza74

You'll never remember all the songs you wish to play by hear so being able to read sheet music to some extent and play is invaluable for me.

I find the opposite. Songs I slowly learned from sheet music are quickly forgotten... But if I try to play something by ear it gets comitted to long term memory.
I'm probably unusual in that regard though as most musicians I know do need sheet music in front of them...even if it's just for the occasional glance.
I find it just puts me off. I can also embellish a song 'on the fly' without sheet music.

[metropolis]

i can only read a little bit of sheet music which i picked up at school learning to play the cornet.since learning to play the guitar ( slow and painful progress being made ) i have just used tabs which is not the same.i also struggle to play by ear so i can't realy vote on this poll until you include a "can not do anything" option

[Monarch]

I can read music, but struggle to sight read a lot, I've done it and I can read music no problem, I can get a feel for how something should sound by reading it, but playing it and reading it at the same time is a different thing.

Anyway, I'm not quite sure what to tick, most of the time I'll get the music off the net if I want to learn a song, I'll read a 8 bar or so passage, kind of run it under my fingers (guitar) and then listen to it and try and play it, seems to work for me, a mixture of both! It would take me a while to actually learn a whole song by ear, but I could do it, I could do the opposite too, but just reading it off the page doesn't come naturally to me at all

[suniil]

I can do sight reading, but unable to play any instruments in good way .

[groveman]

I read music, but struggle with more than 3 notes for the right hand. I know the chord 'shapes' - so don't read for the left hand. I find that playing comes a bit easier if you sing or hum along with the tune.
Are there any websites where you can download some free sheet music for keyboard / electronic organ?.

[Chris Muriel]

Poll doesn't have an option "read music" but also play a lot of stuff by ear.
(and that's without even discussing the "halfway house" of tablature).

Chris Muriel, Manchester (mainly banjo and acoustic guitars here)

[deadtotheworld]

I play be ear and feel the vibe or mood of what should be played.
Playing in bands and doing session work I have met a lot of musicians, mostly guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardist/pianists - but also the occasional orchestra players. I found that most of the people that read music actually NEED the music to be able to play - so their ability to improvise, jam or suggest new ideas on the fly was almost zero.
I know a lot of guitarists that went to lessons or college to do music degrees and did everything the 'proper' way and just never seemed to improve themselves or find their own style - hence they quit after a while.
I find that 98% of the people that I have met that read music, only play other peoples stuff and never break out of that mould. Kind of a shame really.

[karkus30]

Play drums using notation, can only really play guitar using TAB.......weird eh !

[sunnybacon]

I can read music, although most of the time, when the option is there, I prefer just to play by ear.

[namuk]

Buy Ear..

[dng007]

Learnt to read music back when I was around 7-8, when I started playing the piano and violin. Plus needed it for singing when I was a chorister. Can't really remember 'learning' it mind - not like learning English, history, etc where I can recall actual lessons.

[aleximo]

Both but i mainly read music. Was recently playing clarinet on the proms was an awesome experience! and going to study clarinet at the royal college of music in just 4 days time so yeh i pretty much read alot of music. lol

[ODP]

i cant read music very well anymore, but read tab so i guess that counts

[Alison22uk]

i read music, taught myself from primary school age, can sight read very well too. Not touched the instruments for a couple of years now, im sure my passion will come back one day

[Crazy Guy]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Just wondered how many of you read music and how many play by ear?

My Mum was a fantastic keyboard player - couldn't read a note though. She could copy any song within minutes though!

I struggle reading music for the drums - and that's a much simpler form of reading music!

Have been playing on and off since last year at school (1992......) and I have to say I have never tried to read drum music but played by ear and mainly feel. For me it's important to lock on tight with your bass player, but also to let a song breathe and be sympathetic to the ballad songs. But I wish I had spent more time and devotion to reading as my fills are crap!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iamthebrad]

As a keyboardist I read sheet music (if it's available), but as a singer I just "play" by ear. But then again, who does sing only from sheet music?

[FZR400RRSP]

Originally Posted by deadtotheworld

I found that most of the people that read music actually NEED the music to be able to play - so their ability to improvise, jam or suggest new ideas on the fly was almost zero.

I agree.
Reading music makes them too 'robotic'
Just playing someone else's interpretation, parrot fashion.
Like they're not actually hearing it, just going through the motions of what's written down.

[scottish nutter]

i cant play by ear, i use guitar tabs and guitar pro 5, im still rubbish though

[Kieron]

I'm getting better at reading the simpler drum beats now, probably due to lessons etc.

[Codehead]

By ear and tab if I'm stuck. Always struggled to read 'proper' notation for guitar due to the lack of 1:1 note mapping.

[orpheus]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

I agree.
Reading music makes them too 'robotic'
Just playing someone else's interpretation, parrot fashion.
Like they're not actually hearing it, just going through the motions of what's written down.

While I agree that some readers (myself included) find it very hard to improvise, I don't agree that reading music makes the performance 'robotic'. There is room for interpretation, expression, rubato, and generally pulling the melody around which can make a very expressive performance.

[phil t]

Originally Posted by iamthebrad

But then again, who does sing only from sheet music?

Anyone who sings in a choir, oratorio or chorus?

[phil t]

Originally Posted by FZR400RRSP

Reading music makes them too 'robotic'
Just playing someone else's interpretation, parrot fashion.
Like they're not actually hearing it, just going through the motions of what's written down.

Sometimes a strict tempo is a must; you can’t have members of an orchestra doing their own thing. If you play (or sing) as part of a large group, it comes down to the conductor as to how they wish to interpret the music.

[Stinja]

I've learnt how to (badly) read drum music, but i dont think it's a vital skill unless you're in an orchestra or otherwise performing music to a strict regime. So i guess it depends on why you play music, for me it's not very important at all *cough* as i mostly play Rock Band on the PS3 but horses for your own kettle of fish i say

[KJ Palmer]

I 'can' read music, but admittedly not as well as I'd like to. I'm learning flute at the moment, and sight reading is a must for 'classical' music. Whilst learning the guitar, tab was the only way - too many notes for me otherwise. I'm amazed at how pianists can do it...

[Tidy_Sammy]

I'm pretty rubbish at reading, I can only read tablature and even then I'm very slow, I try to watch video's and go from there really..(I'm not very good on the guitar).

[robfosters]

I can read music.

Without wanting to sound big headed, I found music very easy to learn to read. However, I did start very young, about 12. Just learnt from books. Think it's much easier to learn at a young age.

And when I was older, I taught myself to read TAB, which is probably the easiest form of music to read.